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Hearing protection


faffi

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All I want ear plugs to do is lessen the high sounds a little but not completely. It's the high pitched sounds that cause hearing damage so that's all I'm concerned about. I can't stand typical plugs that cause pressure and muffle everything as though I'm riding a hyperbaric chamber on two wheels.  🙉

 

They are expensive when compared to other plugs but I look at it this way instead, I would gladly pay $40 for the No-noise Motorsport Plug just to say bye-bye to the muffled sound from old style plugs and be happy knowing I'm getting some quality protection.

Beemer

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I don't feel the need to hear much at all when riding, other than the talk over the radio from my son(s) riding the other bikes. As such, something with built-in loudspeakers that doesn't protrude past the ear and still block the majority of noise would be ideal for me.

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I hear MUCH better the things that are important when the plugs are in. Wind noise is not high frequency - it's actually quite low. I rode 1000 miles without plugs when I was young -  a Shoei RF800. Ears rang for several days afterward. Also the constant assault of noise  is mentally tiresome so your endurance in the saddle is hampered. I use the cheap-as-chips foam plugs you can buy in like 500 count carton. About 29dB I think. example https://www.amazon.com/3M-Classic-Earplugs-310-1060-Uncorded/dp/B07DHW547S

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THE loudest sound AT your ears on a bike, with a reasonable muffler, is the wind noise from your helmet.

First choose you helmet wisely, especially for distance riding. Most noise comes from the visor opening and the neck flow.

Front opening helmets are MUCH more noisey ( a couple of notable exceptions) than a decent full face.

Worst noisey helmet I ever used was a front opening Nolan ( my race Xlite was the quietest). Interestingly my Arai adventure helmet with a visor, is quieter than almost every other helemt I have owned.

The other thing you can do if you want to avoid earplugs, is get a hellmet speaker set ( eg sena etc). The ear damage is done by the transients at the front of a sound envelope. High frequencies have steeper transients by nature. But if you introduce a secondary sound source that softens the transient slope of the envelope and  there will be less damage ( and annoyance). Still, a combined high sound pressure level will also not be good.

 

A quality helmet is designed to reduce the ambient noises sufficiently , but the faster you go the higher the transients and the greater the sound pressures from both the motor and the wind noise. Helmets are tested ( apparently) at 100kph/60mph with a motorcycle noise level of 95dBA. Wind noise rises steeply after that speed. So riding slower will also help ....(yep that will happen...).

 A properly designed fairing will also reduce wind noise but MAY increase engine noise.

Other than that you will need some sort of ear protection.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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On the great video ( I do like this guy), the tree shaped ones are pretty much the design from the 70's ( I think) by Lockheed. They were designed to work around jet engines, and still allow you some hearing, when the sound pressures were insanely high. They do this by  greatly reducing the apeture that the sound passes through. So, although mid and high frequencies get through, the sound pressure at the ear drum is hugely reduced. Hearing being logrithmic , means you can hear stuff at high pressures, without the eardrum ending up at the other side of your head, but at lower pressures, you can still hear and you hearing adapts. We used to wear them in computer rooms in the old days ( probably still need them in server farms) when the noise from the old disc drives and the fans was ridiculous. But you could hold a conversation with the earplugs in.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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I want something that doesn't stick out of my ears at all. Still on the fence whether I want speakers in the helmet or included in the hearing protection as both have benefits and downsides.

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my preferred hearing protection... custom fit, multiple modes of hearing lvls such as telephone, TV, on/off and the obligatory wife/gf chatter reduction mode 😜

Phonak-Naida-HearingAids.jpg

2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition...2015 fj-09- 120whp- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich Race Kit- tuned by 2WDW
 

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2 hours ago, norcal616 said:

my preferred hearing protection... custom fit, multiple modes of hearing lvls such as telephone, TV, on/off and the obligatory wife/gf chatter reduction mode 😜

 

Are those as pricey as I expect they are?

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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2 minutes ago, DewMan said:

Are those as pricey as I expect they are?

bout 3k a piece plus fitment, testing and ear molds, bout $20 a month in batteries... basically the price of a new motorcycle hanging off your ears...

2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition...2015 fj-09- 120whp- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich Race Kit- tuned by 2WDW
 

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On 6/13/2018 at 3:45 PM, Beemer said:

I can't stand typical plugs that cause pressure and muffle everything as though I'm riding a hyperbaric chamber on two wheels.  🙉

Have you tried these? I'm using MotoSafe Tour and they have a hole through so no pressure feeling, high pitch noise from wind is quieter and exhaust is still loud enough (Yoshi R11 with baffle in). They don't stick out like foamy ones and are a bit more comfortable.

For long highway trips I would like them to be a little bit more quiet, maybe MotoSafe Race would be good choice for me.

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if you're really into it, take a hot sewing needle and pierce the standard 3m yellow down the center.

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I wear my bose noise cancelling ear buds inside my helmet (I originally got them for work, but realized they work well on the bike). I don't have the noise cancelling turned on and I plug them into my Sena instead of the included speakers. They take away a good bit of the outside sound (not as much as plugs) and end up being a workaround for any Sena speaker sound quality issues.

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7 hours ago, liqwiq said:

Have you tried these? I'm using MotoSafe Tour and they have a hole through so no pressure feeling, high pitch noise from wind is quieter and exhaust is still loud enough (Yoshi R11 with baffle in). They don't stick out like foamy ones and are a bit more comfortable.

For long highway trips I would like them to be a little bit more quiet, maybe MotoSafe Race would be good choice for me.

They look like a good thing but the site says this:

"Only for delivery in: Denmark, Germany, France, Luxemburg, United Kingdom, Austria and Switserland." 

Maybe Yamaha would be so kind as to put a pair of those in with the tool bag of Tracers when and if they ever get here. 🤔

 

Beemer

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Littlebriar

Amazon has the whole line available and cheaper than from main site. I just bought a pair of the pro which has both tour and race plugs.

Steve, 2017 Yamaha FZ-07, 2016 BMW 1200RT, 2019 Ducati Monster 1200s - Harbor Beach, Michigan

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41 minutes ago, Littlebriar said:

Amazon has the whole line available and cheaper than from main site. I just bought a pair of the pro which has both tour and race plugs.

Well, derp! Why didn't I think to look there?! 🧠⚡ I buy almost everything on amazon, it should've occurred to me. Thanks, I just may buy a pair after all.

Edit: Just bought a pair.

Beemer

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